and susan rice is speaking out and defending herself after those statements she had after the u.s. consulate attack in benghazi. plus, a turkey day tradition. the macy's day parade stepping off in a matter two of hours from now in new york. we're live on the streets amid all the holiday thanksgiving. >> it's november 22nd, thanksgiving day. a special edition of "starting point" begins right now. good morning, everybody. happy thanksgiving. our "starting point," the cease-fire in israel and gaza is holding. in gaza city, where so much blood spilled over the last eight days, palestinians are celebrating in the streets. israel and hamas agreeing to halt all acts of aggression against each other. >> this cease-fire deal brokered largely over the phone. president obama and the president of egypt, mohamed morsi, apparently making a real

connection to stop the carnage. i want to begin our coverage here of the very fragile truce with arwa damon live with us this morning in gaza city. arwa, i think i hear horns honking. is the celebration there continuing where you are? >> reporter: it is. although the crowds have tapered off a little bit. but it is pretty incredible when you look at the street down below us and compare it to what the situation was like 24 hours ago, when you would hardly see a single person outside and most of the shops were shut. you can see very close to where people were gathering, celebrating what they're calling a victory. just one of the many locations that were bombed during this most recent conflict. that was, in fact, a residential home. the israelis, when they struck it later on, saying that they believe that it was being used by a senior hamas commander as an intelligence operations center. but people, ever since the cease-fire was announced, were taking to the streets. many of them saying that they were celebrating the victory. they are calling this a victory

for hamas, for palestine, that they are able to withstand israeli aggression. others celebrating the fact after being couped up indoors, living in fear for so long, they could go out. the children saying they were just happy to be able to leave the confines of their homes. but, of course, there is still a lot of questions that remain. if this does, in fact, hold, for 24 hours, according to the cease-fire agreement, we should then be seeing the border crossings opening up, the easing of restrictions, the freer flow of goods, of people across these various border crossings. and then, of course, one of the key issues for the palestinians is seeing the israelis lift that naval blockade. >> and those negotiations begin in just about seven hours from now, arwa damon for us, in gaza. arwa, we appreciate it. >> let's go across the border now to israel, where the reaction to the cease-fire deal has been much more subdued, shall we say? our fred pleitgen reporting live

for us from ashkelon, israel, this morning for us. fred, set the scene. >> reporter: you're absolutely right. the mood is much more subdued here and there's certainly no one here, at least in this town of ashkelon, saying that this is victory. many of them said that they felt that the military campaign, the army launch eight days, should have continued, and should have, they felt, achieved more. they believe after those eight days, hamas is still in power. hamas will be able to regroup, and possibly, hamas will be able to shoot weapons at town s like this one. keep in mind, even before the military operation, the people here were having to deal with rocket attacks as many. it wasn't as many during the past eight days. however, every two weeks, every week, they would have to deal with rockets raining on their head. they basically feel as though not very much has been achieved with this military offensive. people i've been speaking to say they thought that a ground operation should have been launched. others, however, that i've been speaking to say they're just happy that at least for the time being, they have some peace and quiet. they can go out with their

children again. businesses are reopening. because during the time of the conflict, you could basically see that about 80% of the stores here in this town were shut. and all of that today is coming back to life. >> fred, you talked about that ground operation and how some citizens are expressing support for that. we also saw that echoed by the prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, who really left the door open for that. you were reporting earlier that tens of thousands of troops are still amassed along the border. i guess as w look forward to more substantiative talks, wouldn't that stand some damage, net netanyahu, politically? >> reporter: it depends on where the cease-fire goes. it depends whether rockets will be launched from gaza again. but there are a lot of people who are not very happy in the way the prime minister, netanyahu, handled all of this. and many of these people are height here. many say if rockets are launched, netanyahu will pay the

price politically. remember, he's up for re-election in late january. that's certainly something that he's going to have to be well aware of. people here are no happy with the cease-fire. their not happy with the way this military operation was conducted. they're not happy that this military operation ended so quickly. and if, in fact, the cease-fire doesn't hold. if, in fact, the status quo from before comes back again, then certainly that is something that could damage president obama -- prime minister netanyahu politically here in this country. it's certainly something where the people are somewhat skeptical about whether or not he made the right move. >> all right. our fred pleitgen, live for us in ashkelon, israel. fred, thank you. five minutes here past the hour. susan rice now publicly defending the comments she made in the aftermath of the september 11th terrorist attack in benghazi on the u.s. consulate there. rice initially suggested the attack was sparked by protests over that anti-muslim film. well, now the u.s. ambassador to the u.n. is insisting that she was relying solely on information provided by u.s. intelligence agencies and says

she made it clear at the time the information was preliminary. and she had this to say to one of her harshest critics. >> i have great respect for senator mccain and his service to our country. i always have and i always will. i do think that some of the statements he's made about me have been unfounded, but i look forward to having the opportunity at the appropriate time to discuss all of this with him. >> rice says she believes everyone, especially intelligence officials, were working in good faith to provide the best assessment of the events in benghazi to the american people. a story that caught some people by surprise. a sudden resignation, jesse jackson jr. leaving congress because of health issues. the illinois congressman has been undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder. jackson's health may not be the only factor. he's being investigated by the fbi and house ethics committee for possible misuse of campaign funds. he was just re-elected for a tenth term. >> snoopy, kermit, hello kitty.

hey, there's spider-man. these are some of the star attractions of the annual macy's thanksgiving day parade. it begins in less than two hours, in new york city, and for the first time in its 86-year history, the parade route has changed. jason carroll is live among the revelers. we'll talk to him later this hour. >> look forward to that. and millions of couch cushions across the country will be getting quite a workout today. turkey coma, not a problem. that's because football is here. nfl lineup, a triple header, kicking off at 12:30 eastern time, with the detroit lions hosting the houston texans. then it's the cowboys and redskins squaring off at 4:25 this afternoon. >> if i can make it up that late, i will be watching that game. seven minutes here past the hour. i want to talk weather with meteorologist bonnie schneider.

how's the thanksgiving forecast looking? >> it's actually lacking very good. i can remember thanksgiving in years past where we've had winter storms and things like that, not today. the only problem maybe for drivers this morning is fog. that exists for memphis into houston and may impact your air travelers a well. another factor to keep in mind, strong winds. these are wind advisories and you can see them across the plain states, including bismarck and even as far to the east as minneapolis. the winds in this region could get as strong as 45 miles per hour. all of this will impact your air travel. no delays yet, because it's nice and early if you're heading to the airport now. keep in mind, as the day goes on, we may see some delays in the cities you'll see here, including seattle, with low clouds and fog and maybe a shower passing through. you shared some pictures of the parade. well, the forecast looks terrific. we're looking at temperatures in the mid-40s, so a light coat, i think you'll be fine, lots of sunshine, so it will be nice and clear. and i don't think the winds will be too strong, which is always an issue that we're watching very closely for the parade.

i used to go to this parade as a kid in person. i remember being all bundled up. if you're driving along i-94 into bismarck, watch out for snow. we have cold enough weather in the plain states for that. but elsewhere across the country, with high pressure in the eastern part of the u.s., we are seeing breezy conditions in advance of a cold front. but ahead of the front, you have this high producing some warmer conditions across the south. the gulf coast through florida, just gorgeous. plenty of sunshine from chicago all the way down to washington, d.c., down through richmond, virginia. and sunny and warm as well in the southwest, through phoenix, arizona, also looking very, very mild. so high temperatures today as a result are looking spectacular. you really can't find too much in the way of cold air, unless you start heading up into montana and into idaho and wyoming. some of the higher elevations there will see cold enough weather for snow. b butgenerally speaking, we're looking at a smooth day for weather travel. 71 in kansas city, nice and warm there, and up to 53, your high

in new york. during the parade in the morning hours, it will be in the 40s. so it will be colder than that. in the southwest, it's looking nice and warm, alina and brooke, really looking good. i'm so happy to report good travel weather. usually we don't have this. so enjoy it while it lasts. >> trick going to the parade, really any parade, layering. it was fun walking around the city yesterday, and seeing not just people who were in town for the parade, but people march in band jackets, so proud. >> what an honor. and to be in new york at this time of year. i'm glad -- >> that the weather's holding, in florida, where i'm headed tomorrow. ahead here on "starting point," with the cease-fire apparently holding in israel, will this lead to lasting peace? we'll speak with former mideast envoy, george mitchell. also, new york pitching in to help some victims of sandy give thanks. we're going to go live to staten island, where more relief is on the way. you're watching "starting point." with verizon.

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13 minutes past the hour on this thursday. welcome back to "starting point". it looks like the hostess twinkie era is over. the company and its workers just couldn't make a deal. new hostess -- excuse me, now hostess can sell off its bakers, the brand, and its recipes. but here's the thing, about 15,000 people could soon lose their jobs in the company. as far as your twinkies and ho-hos and other snacks here, you'll probably see them again, but under a different brand name. and markets here on this holiday, they are closed. the dow, nasdaq, and s&p 500 already hitting closer. up on the strength of the cease-fire announcement in gaza, israel. you know, thursday is the new black friday for a lot of you shoppers. and the two main marts, when i say mart, i'm talking kmart and walmart, they're throwing the doors open, oh, no, not tomorrow, tonight. so will sears, toys "r" us,

target, and people in tucson can spend the next couple of months reading about the sales. the arizona daily star there putting out 870 pages, 870 pages of black friday sale ads. that's about 300 pages longer than "moby dick." there's some trivia for you. al a cease-fire continues this morning between israel and gaza, marking an end to eight days of aerial rocket attacks between the two sides. the big question now is, will it last? the truce was brokered by a host of international diplomats, including president obama, who you're about to see here in some white house photos, if we can show them. he was on the phone, by the way, with both egyptian president mohammed morsi and israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu. >> translator: i have to say that all this was done with the firm support on the part of the leaders of the international

community, and i would like especially to thank president barack obama for his unreserved support for israel's actions in the operation. >> george mitchell is a former maine democratic senator and served as president obama's special envoy to the middle east from 2009 to 2011. he also helped the negotiate a peace agreement in northern ireland and was awarded the presidential medal of freedom for his efforts. senator mitchell joins us now. so great to see you. good morning. >> thanks for having me. >> so this cease-fire has been holding now for just about 17 hours. at the 24-hour mark, in about seven hours' time, as you know, the border crossings into gaza will reopen. and so will talks toward what we all hope will be a broader peace agreement. how hopeful are you that that can happen in the near term? >> well, the talks will be difficult, because the parties have fundamental disagreements on the subject of the talks.

hamas will want open access, the ability to bring in and out both people and goods from gaza. the israelis will be very much concerned about them replenishing their stock of missiles. there's a well-established smuggling route from iran to sedan and up through the egyptian dessert into gaza. and working out the details of that will be difficult. but what this past week has demonstrated is that the reality that israel has a very successful state, but doesn't have security for its people. palestinians don't have a state. president george w. bush, just before he left office, made a very important speech in jerusalem, in which he said, they both are vested in the other's success. because the only way the palestinians can get a state is for the people of israel to have security, and vice versa. >> and you talk about that security in israel. as you know, benjamin netanyahu, the prime minister, left the

door open for further military operation. let's listen to what he said. >> translator: i know there are those who expect an even more intense military response, and that may, perhaps, be needed. but at this time, the right thing for the state of israel is to exhaust this opportunity to obtain a long-term cease-fire, or an ongoing cease-fire. >> as you know, tens of thousands of israeli troops are still amassed along the border. is this the kind of talk we bant to hear as we go into more, what we hope are more substantiative talks? >> well, he has to satisfy several constituencies. the people who live closest to gaza, many of them would have liked to have seen the operation to continue to root out hamas completely. those, i think, outside the range of missiles probably had a different view. and he has to, obviously, say that if there is a resumption of rocket fire, israel will respond

again. i think the important thing is that the two sides recognize that their interests are not served by continuing hostility. and while they do have very fundamental disagreement, if they can figure out a way, palestinians generally, don't forget the palestinian authority, which is a very important part of this, can get into serious negotiations, aided by the u.s., they may be able to address the long-standing issues. it hasn't happened so far, but we have to keep trying because it's so important to them and to us. >> that's right. and we do keep trying. having said that, as we mentioned, you were the middle east envoy from 2009 to 2011. obviously, you were privy to those tough negotiations. take us inside that room. what's it like to be there? >> well, in the middle east, there was very little direct israeli/palestinian negotiation. almost all of what we went through was through us. i would go see netanyahu.

he would say to me, is abbas serious, and i would go to see abbas, and he would say, is netanyahu serious? >> a true middleman. >> we went back and forth. there were a few meetings between netanyahu and abbas, at which i was present. they were direct, forceful. they didn't mince words, but there were no yelling, there was no slamming the table. there was no insulting. it was businesslike, but direct and forceful. unfortunately, the talks didn't gain traction and continue as we'd hope, and they terminated after three or four meetings and didn't accomplish anything. so the hope is that at some point, they will get back together again, in a circumstance that permits a sustained dialogue. >> i think that's what we all hope. thank you, great to see you. >> still ahead this morning here on "starting point," new yorkers helping new yorkers, helping victims of sandy celebrate

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good morning, everybody. welcome back to "starting point." the cease-fire agreement between israel and hamas is now in its 17th hour. and so far, so good. it is holding. the truce sending palestinians into the streets of gaza city to celebrate. israel now beginning to pull back some of its troops from the gaza border. the two sides set to begin negotiations later today if the cease-fire holds. as many as 33 homes are now slated for demolition by the end

of the year in the indianapolis subdivision where that explosion earlier killed two people. that happened earlier this month, by the way. at least 90 homes were damaged or destroyed in the blast. 12 of the homes will be torn down in the next two weeks because they are in danger of collapsing. while many of us enjoy family, maybe a little football, good food on this thanksgiving day, it is really so important to remember the thousands of americans who are still reeling from hurricane sandy. in new york, for example, staten islanders who lost their homes have absolutely no place to go are getting a special delivery today. the feast is coming to them. deborah feyerick is live for us in staten island. deb, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, brooke. you know, if you can't go to thanksgiving, the idea is to bring thanksgiving to the people. about 800, 900 volunteers will be gathering here over the course of the morning. they're from the liquid church out of new jersey. and the goal of all these volunteers who are giving up their morning is to basically go into about them different

communities here in staten island and basically just help people, feed them, and also dig them out. we are joined by pastor tim lucas, who's the founder of the church. you have put this all together. you're basically creating block parties throughout staten island and giving them a little bit of taste of thanksgiving where they don't have to worry about anything. >> a little slice of heaven on thanksgiving morning. that's the whole idea, deb. and i've got to say, the staten island churches, new open, oasis, salem church, they've been here since day one, but we are blessed to lock arms with them and muck out homes and feed the people. >> a lot of people haven't been able to clean up their homes. they'll take out all the insulation, all the drywall, everything >> when we say, muck out a home, basically, we'll be taking all the supplies, ripping out drywall, tearing up carpet, kind of slopping out these homes, bring them down to the studs.

but once we empty the houses, we want to fill people's bellies. and we'll feed them after that. >> and you've also got these grills, you'll set them up, got a little bit of music, and you'll be doing turkey burgers for everybody. >> we have 22 grills. we'll set them up around staten island, the midland beach area, and we have a boom box, so we'll be grilling turkey burgers, sausages, and we have a truckload of pumpkin pie, so we've got a party to go, in a box. >> that's really the spirit of all of this, to really make sure that the people who have lost so much are not forgotten on this holiday. >> that is fantastic. i love his energy and his spirit here. thank him for us and we're thinking about everyone here and everyone still reeling from that who re horrendous storm. ahead on "starting point," could there be a lasting deal between israel and gaza? we will speak with mark brugev.

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it is half past the hour here on this early thursday morning. welcome back to a special thanksgiving day edition of "starting point." i'm brooke baldwin. >> and i'm alina cho. soledad has the day off. let's get right to your top stories. 17 hours is and holding. the cease-fire agreement between israel and hamas, still in tact this morning. the two sides begin negotiations later today. if that cease-fire continues to hold past the 24-hour mark, israel now beginning to pull back some of its troops from the gaza border. the truce is also sending palestinians into the streets of gaza city to celebrate. >> susan rice going public. the u.s. ambassador to the united nations is now defending the comments she made in the

aftermath of the september 11th terrorist attack in benghazi. rice explaining why she initially suggested that the attacks were sparked by protests over that anti-muslim film. >> ilied solely and squarely on the information provided to me by the intelligence community. i made clear that the information was preliminary and that our investigations would give us the definitive answers. >> rice says she believes everyone, especially intelligence officials, were acting in good faith to provide the best assessment of the events in benghazi to the american people. >> sectarian violence erupting in pakistan. a series of bombings has killed at least 31 people. in the deadliest attack, a taliban suicide bomber killed 23 people in an attack on a shiite muslim procession in rawalpindi. this is the holiest month of the year for shiites. and this picture cost two women their jobs.

take a close look there. one apparently made an obscene gesture at arlington national cemetery while the other took a picture. ended up on facebook and caused a firestorm, went viral. the women worked for a nonprofit in massachusetts. the company has apologized and says those women no longer work there. back to our top story there here this morning. lack take a look at the images with me and you'll see these crowds in gaza. look at them celebrating the cease-fire that appears to be holding between israel and hamas. we should let you know, we're hours away from talks, sort of a round two of negotiations, on easing some of the economic restrictions on gaza. this is all part of a diplomatic deal, that at least for now, has put an end to eight days of deadly rocket attacks, back and forth between the two sides now. joining me now from cnn's bureau in jerusalem is mark regev. spokesperson for the israeli government and for prime minister benjamin netanyahu. mark, good morning.

>> good morning. >> let me just begin with this cease-fire. how confident are you that it will continue to hold? are you at all, like some israelis, disappointed? >> i think, obviously, when you're dealing with a terrorist group like hamas, there's a certain, and it's probably healthy to be a bit skeptical, but these arrangements were negotiated with egypt and with the sponsorship and support of the united states. and we're giving them a chance. we will keep our commitments under these arrangements. hamas has promised the egyptians that they will hold their fire. and we're hopeful that this will last. that the people of southern israel will have normal lives, that they can live without the daily fear of an incomeing rockt in their neighborhoods exploding. if this cleaves peace and quiet, that for us is victory. that for us is winning. that's what we wanted to protect our people.

>> i wanted to give you back to something you just said, giving them a chance, giving hamas a chance. how long do you wait? how long do you give them? >> the proof of the pudding is in the in the eating. if the border remains quiet, if we no longer see the terrorists in gaza shooting at our people, then we have no need to respond. in other words, israel's whole military operation here was purely defensive. if they hadn't had been shooting at us, we wouldn't have had to call up our reserves and hit at gaza. we will be very happy if we can have a status quo, if the situation can be quiet, and if the civilians on both sides of the frontier will enjoy a period of unprecedented peace and quiet. >> if all does remain quiet, we're hours from that second round of negotiation, really on the most contentious issue, those very tight border crossings in gaza under this 7-year-old now embargo.

what makes this time, what makes this round of negotiations any different that before? >> you know, any where over the last two, three years, israel has been relaxing restrictions. we'll continue to that process and now talk to the egyptians about that. but israel imposed restrictions for a reason. you had this hostile fire into israel. they were shooting rockets into our cities and trying to kill our people. is it really fair to expect that you would have normal trading relations -- >> but if that does stop, would you see a possibility for a two-state solution? a possibility for it? >> look, you're raising other issues. first of all, if the firing stops, israel is willing to move forward with egypt in discussions about easing restrictions that still remain. on your latter question, of course we want a two-state solution. of course we want peace. we understand that peace is the only real solution. and we've called upon the

palestinian leadership to start peace talks immediately without any preconditions. unfortunately, we've had problems. they haven't agreed. we hope they'll agree soon. but you must remember, hamas, unfortunately, is the enemy of peace. hamas doesn't want to negotiate. hamas says that any palestinian who negotiates with israel is a trader to the palestinian cause. they have a very, very hard line. if they changed, that would be nice. that would maybe open the door, but at the moment, hamas is stuck in a very hard-line, anti-peace sort of position, which makes them impossible to involve in any sort of peace process. >> we shall see how the second round of negotiations do go. mark regev, we're with you in wanting peace. the israeli government spokesperson to prime minister. thank you, sir. it's time now for your a.m. "house call." might not be a fun conversation to have at the thanksgiving dipper table or during the football game tonight, but it is important. so listen up. doctors suggest talking to your family members, really, really talking to them about their health histories. that awareness can help you avoid some potential health

problems down the road. doctors say, of course, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure all tend to run in families, so talk it out. coming up this morning on "starting point," thursday is the new black friday, did, you know? some door buster deals start even before the turkey is done. we're talking to a retail insider. that's next. 38 minutes past the hour. you are watching "starting point." ♪

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42 minutes after the hour. well, not so long ago, thanksgiving was really just about food, family, and

football. people were really content to leave the shopping until black friday. but this year, all is changing. you've got to snap out of your turkey coma even earlier if you want to get the best door buster deal. many stores are opening tonight at 8:00. some stores like kmart are even open right now. we want to get to andrew stein, the chief marketing officer for kmart, sears holdings. mr. stein, good morning. great to see you. i understand that you're actually doing three different door buster deals today. tell us about them. >> so we open at 6:00 this morning and this year, we're doing three doorbuster events. so we're calling it our triple doorbusters, so 6:00 a.m. today until 4:00.this afternoon. we'll close for a few hours, get the stores ready. reopen at 8:00 p.m. tonight. and then come backs at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning for a third round of doorbusters. we've seen that there's a

different customer base. we've got a younger customer that prefers to shop at 8:00 tonight and then we've got a more traditional customer that will shop at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. >> sure, probably a little bit older. having said that, i was looking online last night, i saw some of your deals, $88 flat screens, barbies for $2.99. that brought me back to my childhood. so, tell me, what are some of the very best deals out there at kmart, if you were to go into the store right now? >> if you go in right now, we've got buy one, get one board games, so great games like monopoly, operation, battleship, games from your childhood. and then we also have buy one, get one footwear. so shoes for the family. and tonight at 8:00, and we've had people lining up for days for this already, we have 50" flat screen for $2.88.

so a 1080 tv for $288 is a tremendous deal. >> that is a really good deal. when you look at the numbers from our cnn money desk, we have an estimated 147 million shoppers who plan to shop this coming weekend versus 220 million last year. i mean, that's pretty significant. when you look at those numbers, is that why you make the decision to open on thanksgiving day? because some people might say, is nothing sacred anymore? i mean, can't you just stay closed on thanksgiving? >> kmart's been open on thanksgiving day, this is our 21st year now. and we know, you know, people have last-minute needs to have a great thanksgiving. and so whether it's getting some last-minute stuff for the table, if you need some more soda, we know, we serve our customers during day on thanksgiving and have for 21 years.

so we have a reason, our customers need us on thanksgiving day. >> all right. let's talk a little bit about this. because, you know, so many people shop online these days. i'm one of them. what is it that you're going to get by standing online, outside of your kmart, when it's freezing cold, versus just going on to kmart's website? i mean, are there different deals inside the store versus going online? is that the allure? >> the deals in store are available online too. but part of black friday and whether it's 8:00 tonight or 5:00 p.m. tomorrow morning, it's part of the thrill of the hunt. it's part of going out with family or friends, waiting online to get that great doorbuster. and it's a fun shopping experience to go to stores with your family and friends for the doorbusters. >> well, it can be fun, if your not trampled over -- i mean, as

we saw even last year, you look at the walmart in arkansas and there was a near riot over $2 waffle makers. i mean, are you taking any additional -- and we're looking at the video right now of what happened last year. it's pretty remarkable. all for a $2 waffle maker. i mean, what types of security measures are you taking, or are you, to sort of make sure something like this doesn't happen to you? >> we are handing out tickets for the hottest door busters to people that have been waiting in line, whether for hours or for days, for the hottest doorbuster items, so we will not have any issues like this on things like a $2.99 barbie. we have plenty of inventory. so there will no be any kind of issues like this. >> thank goodness you have plenty of inventory on the $2.99 barbie. i might head out there myself and get one, just for old times' sake. all right, andrew stine, chief

marketing officer for kmart and sears holding, thanksgiving. >> thank you very much for having me. i appreciate this. one other thing we're offering this weekend, tomorrow we have free flu shots for our shop your way members. so just come into the store during pharmacy hours, and we're offering free flu shots. thank you. >> that's worth mentioning. mr. stine, thank you so much. >> 47 minutes hear past the hour. let's talk weather, in addition to shopping. let's go to bonnie schneider with your thanksgiving day forecast. bonnie, good morning! >> good morning, brooke and alina. shopping and weather, those are two great subjects. i like both of them. we're looking at milder weather for this thanksgiving. so many places across the country. i wanted to show you the extended forecast. if you're planning a weekend in new york, for example, it will get cooler as we go through the weekend, but not by too much. that holds true for boston and even syracuse seeing highs in the 50s. for the parade this morning, right in the mid-40s, looking good, and the winds will be

comfortable, which is great for the floats. but if you're driving in memphis this morning or if you're driving down in houston, i'm getting some reports on twitter that there is dense fog out there, so be careful. another thing to keep in mind are the strong winds through the plains states. wyoming, dakotas, gusts could get as strong as 45 miles per hour. so that may impact your travel, as far to the east as minneapolis. we're also looking at low clouds in seattle and that fog that i mentioned that could slow you down. finally, if you're looking for a little taste of wintry weather, you'll find it in international falls, minnesota. but the rest of the country is looking warm. brooke and alina, temperatures are actually 20 degrees above normal today across parts of the midwest. it's a nice and warm thanksgiving. >> nice. enjoy the weather. bonnie, thank you. this week, "the next list" delves into the world of culinary science and gadgets. we'll introduce you this morning to dave arnold, the director of technology at the international culinary center.

>> when you're cooking, you're not used to thinking, hey, a degree can make a big difference in something. and yet, i can show you that the difference between a fully runny egg yolk and a fully set egg yolk is only two degrees celsius. and i can get any texture in between that just by varying a couple temps of a degree in between. i can achieve any of those effects. so all of a sudden a degree becomes an important measure. and the ability to control that becomes an important measure. but the whole way you have to cook, the whole way you think about how cooking works has to change. >> join me, dr. sanjay gupta, as we introduce you to dave arnold of the international culinary center. >> sanjay, thank you. watch "the next list," 2:00 eastern times sundays. >> might still by digesting your thanksgiving turkey. >> multiple rounds of leftovers. >> ahead on "starting point," you've got to get there early. the balloons, the crowds. we will go live to the macy's

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six minutes before the top of the hour. when it comes to parades in new york city, this is just about as good as it gets. we are counting down to the start of the 86th annual macy's

thanksgiving day parade, just about an hour away now. 3 million people are expected to turn out to see the star balloons floating above the streets of manhattan. another 50 million will watch it on tv and our jason carroll is live on the upper west side of manhattan where the excitement is building. jason, good morning. >> reporter: and happy thanksgiving, alina. we've got the front row seat, literally, to the macy's thanksgiving day parade. take a look at what's right above me. in position now, getting ready to float down central park west here at the macy's thanksgiving day parade. big difference this year, huge crowds out here. great weather we've seen. lots of people. thousands of people have been lining up this morning. it's not just about the crowds. it's not just about the great blons like the hello kitty balloon but it's also about the pop stars and stars that will be in the parade as well.

colby caillet, pop star, brand new christmas album coming out. >> yes. >> you must be very excited. this is your first macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> my very first oochlt i'm so excited. hello, close-up. >> very close. >> what float will you be on? >> with all the dancing baked goods. >> lots of flavor on that float. lots of flavor. >> oh, yeah. >> alina, we share something in common. we come from the same hometown, thousand oaks, california. go, t.o. she was a lancer. >> yes, i was. >> a lot of people grew up watching this on television. it's much different when you're here in person, isn't it? >> so different. >> all the balloons and so much excitement. folks coming around. >> we keep getting run over by people. >> much different when you're here in person, is it not? >> it's beautiful. it's cold. so many people. so many huge, massive things. and it's just alive. it's amazing to actually be here

in person and feel the spirit. >> it's a lot of fun. these balloons are amazing when you see them, alina. >> i heard it took them 18 months to plan this. >> did you your homework. >> i heard it on the news this morning. >> i heard it on the news. >> colbie caillet, one of the many pop stars on the floats coming down the macy's thanksgiving day parade. if you haven't had a chance to come down, you can still make your way down here. not a lot of good seats left but you can still get a great view. back to you. >> what an opportunity for colbie. >> it's wonderful and hopefully all of you sitting there watching are still sitting in your pajamas, drinking your coffee and having your breakfast and getting to watch the parade from the comfort of your home. relative calm after eight days of violence in the middle east. will the cease fire hold? we're also learning here the president -- leader of the plo actually reached out via telephone to one of the leaders

of hamas here and really congratulating him now on what they're calling a victory. >> we'll tell you more about that coming up. plus the congressman who is quitting just weeks after getting re-elected. you're watching "starting point." americans believe they should be in charge of their own future. how they'll live tomorrow. for more than 116 years, ameriprise financial has worked for their clients' futures. helping millions of americans retire on their terms. when they want. where they want. doing what they want. ameriprise. the strength of a leader in retirement planning.

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good morning, everybody. welcome. it's 8:00 straight up in the east. happy thanksgiving. i'm alina cho. >> good morning. i'm brooke baldwin. soledad has the day off. the fragile cease fire in the middle east. celebrations amid the relative calm this morning. the big question here, how long will the calm last? also, u.s. ambassador susan rice speaking out and defending herself over statements she made after the u.s. consulate attack in benghazi. plus a turkey day tradition, the macy's day parade, stepping off in just about an hour from

now in new york city. we are live on the streets amid all the holiday excitement. >> you can feel it building, even right here in the studios. november 22nd, thanksgiving day. a special edition of sta"starti point" begins right now. and our "starting point," 18 hours and counting. the cease fire in israel and gaza still intact this morning. israel now beginning to pull back some of its troops from the gaza border. the two sides said to begin more negotiations later today if that cease fire holds. meanwhile, in gaza city, where so much blood spilled over the last eight days, palestinians are celebrating in the streets. >> the cease fire deal was largely brokered over the phone. president obama and egyptian president mohamed morsi reportedly making a real connection to stop the blood

shed. we want to begin our coverage with arwa damon live in gaza city. what can you tell me about this phone call between the palestinian authority president, mahmoud abbas, and one of the leaders of hamas? >> reporter: well, it most certainly is something of a warming of relations between the two specific detailsdetails at point not very clear. there seems to be an effort to unify the two palestinians bodies. at the very least at this point in time they do need to be presenting more of a united front moving forward. palestinians have been through this cycle of violence, be it in gaza or in the west bank or in other places with israel in the past. what people really want to try to find is some sort of long-term solution. we do have this short-term solution, this cease fire that so far has been holding up until now. many people do realize that unless there is a viable

long-term agreement between these two entities they'll only have to relive the cycle of violence once again. for the first time since all of this began, we are seeing people out in the streets of gaza. 24 hours ago, the roads below us were completely deserted, people staying indoors, fearful, not entirely sure where the next israeli strike would land. they're out and about. hamas declaring this a victory saying they withstood israeli aggression. people celebrating the fact that on the one hand, yes, it was a victory. yes, they do feel as if they did come out on top at the end of the day, despite all the blood shed but simply out because they can go out, having spent so much time since this all began, cooped up indoors. >> arwa damon, thank you. watching those negotiations as they kick off in a matter of hours. another round here for middle east peace. >> senior political leader of hamas is crediting the unity of arab and muslim leaders for that cease fire in gaza.

i ismael hunray. the current chairman of the jewish home israeli political party joins us this morning from tel aviv. mr. bennett, good morning. thanks so much for joining us. i want to get straight to this news that just came into our newsroom, which is this. palestinian president mahmoud abbas, in a phone call this morning to the hamas premiere congratulated him on what he calls his victory and offered condolences for the martyrs. i'm wondering what your response is to that. >> we have a terror state in the israel south. gaza strip is an independent palestinian state but a terror state from the very day we handed over 100% of gaza to the palestinians, ten days later they began shooting missiles at us. at the end of the day, we're

going to have to dismantle this terror state. imagine you had a small al qaeda state right next to the united states, shooting missiles at you. you can't talk to them. you have to defeat terror. after we defeat terror, i certainly would engage in long-term peace talks. but there first has to be a step of dismantling this terror state that's right next to us. >> and that doesn't sound very hopeful. i have to say, many of the smart minds we've spoken to say they believe this cease fire will hold. the big question is, will a broader peace agreement take hold? i ask you this. what is it going to take? egypt was critical, as you know, in brokering this deal. will egypt have to remain a permanent mediator as talks continue? >> well, i think egypt has an islamic regime also, but obviously they were mediators here in this case. we have to define the situation.

we're not talking about a state that is looking for long-term peace. we're talking to a state that has decided deliberately to wipe us out. now, yes, i'm not always the bearer of good news. i want peace more than anyone. i'm a major in reserves that will have to fight in a war if, god forbid, we have to fight it. the united states was determined to wipe out al qaeda and eliminate osama bin laden. this is the exact same situation. we're facing a terrorist organization, not a peaceful nation. we have to dismantle terror. only then can we be able to talk to the palestinians. i'm actually very optimistic about it. unfortunately it didn't happen in this round. >> palestinians who spoke to our wolf blitzer, who is in the region right now, say they feel as though they're in a prison. at the 24-hour mark when the borders into gaza reopen, they believe it's not a real

reopening, that it will open just a sliver. i guess i'm curious to know, from your side, you have to give a little in order to get what some want, which is a two-state solution. so what is israel willing to give? >> i don't know why there's something to be given. i don't recall that on september 12th the united states said we have to give something to al qaeda to appease them. no. there's right and wrong. one side is shooting missile over 1,200 missiles on israel's cities and without any pro provocation. again, i'll be very clear. we gave 100% of the gaza strip to the palestinians. all borders were open. they could have turned it into the singapore of the middle east. they chose to turn it into a taliban-type state. there's no women's rights, no gays right, nothing. dictatorship of the most radical nature. worse than that, they decided to

begin shooting missiles at us. why do i have to give them something? the only thing i have to give them is eradicate terror from within. once that happens -- i'm not saying it's going to be easy but good news of this week shows that this nation has strong resiliency, vis-a-vis this terror. we're willing to defend ourselves. i know they're celebrating in gaza but they're making a big mistake. we've been here thousands of years. we've seen romans, greeks, british, turks. now we see hamas. we want to stay. we want peace with our neighbors, make no mistake, but we cannot engage in conversatioconversation s with people who are shooting my kids day in, day out. >> tough words from neftali bennett, former chief of staff to benjamin netanyahu. thank you for joining us.

eight minutes past the hour here. susan rice is speaking out, explaining the comments she made after the terrorist attack in benghazi. she initial ly said that the attacks were from protests over that anti-muslim film. she says she was solely relying on intelligence agencies and made it clear at the time that the information was preliminary. she had this to say to one of her loudest critics. >> i have great respect for senator mccain and his service to our country. i always have. and i always will. i do think that some of the statements he made about me have been unfounded, but i look forward to having the opportunity at the appropriate time to discuss all of this with him. >> rice went on to say she believes everyone, especially intelligence officials, were working in good faith to provide the american people the best possible assessment of the events of benghazi. he never campaigned but

still won re-election for a tenth term in a landslide. now, just weeks later, illinois congre congressman jesse jackson jr. is resigning, citing concerns for his health, being treated for bipolar disorder and also is the target of fbi and ethics investigations over possible misuse of campaign funds. >> this morning, president obama delivering his annual thanksgiving address and really giving thanks for the lessons we all share as americans. >> thanksgiving is a chance to put it all in perspective, to remember that despite our differences we are and always will be americans first and foremost. today we give thanks for blessings that are all too rare in this world. the ability to spend time with the ones we love, to say what we want, to worship as we please. to know that there are brave men and women defending our freedom around the globe. and to look our children in the eye and tell them here in america no dream is too big if

they're willing to work for it. >> expressing his gratitude to fema, first responders and all the volunteers who have come to the aid of the victims of superstorm sandy. >> meteorologist bonnie schneider with a look at that. looking good out there, isn't it, bonnie? >> it is, brooke. only troubled spots i want to highlight across the plains states. in the midwest, we're looking at windy weather from bismarck to minneapolis. if you're driving, be careful in memphis, paducah, kentucky. houston beaumont area into texas. now all these regions will impact your air travel. we have no delays right now. due to the fog and the strong winds and even low clouds in seattle, we may see some delays. here is where we're not going to have any trouble. new york city looking terrific for the parade this morning. 44 degrees. temperatures will warm up into the 50s. but really looking nice. bright sunshine, clear skies.

look i looking fantastic. if you're extending your holiday across the northeast, temperatures will get cooler by sunday. overall this is going to be a very mild thanksgiving with temperatures above normal in so much of the country. this whole region, kansas city even into dallas, temperatures are 10 to 20 degrees above normal. so a nice, warm thanksgiving. before you know it, it will be december. we'll be talking about much different weather. enjoy it while you can. >> christmas trees abound, i've noticed. it's time. this year has flown by. but that's another story. bonnie, thank you so much. >> sure. >> still ahead on "starting point," the lines, they are already forming. >> oh, boy. >> oh, boy, oh, boy. is it really the day for the best, best deals? black friday, fact or fiction? also new york city helping some victims of sandy give thanks. to staten island where more relief is on the way. you're watching "starting point." how does this thing work?

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hey, guess what. black friday, not just on friday anymore. a lot of stores are opening their doors at 8:00 tonight. some are even open right now. some have been open for hours already. and really it should come as no surprise that many shoppers have been camping out for days. >> i'm here 24/7 basically and then he goes to work and i'm stuck here. >> anybody comes up here and says what are you guys doing? >> players, tvs. >> ipad. >> tv, 40" tv. >> shoppers are proud of what they do, sitting outside these stores. some of these serious bargain hunters are there. marshall cohen keeps an eye on the retail industry. marshall, good morning. >> good morning. >> you were at kmart at 5:00 this morning. >> if the stores are open, i'm there when the consumers are waiting in line to get in. >> the economy is improving, albeit slowly. how much will we hear the cha

ching this weekend? you're going to hear this was a really black friday because they extended the hours, got new consumers who are shopping. not everybody is a sporting shopper who gets up at 3:00 or 4:00 am. >> sporting shopper. >> that's a nice way of saying those fanatics, those crazy people who go out those crazy hours. it's about recognizing they've been able to expand that to a whole new group of shoppers that will be shopping later today. >> compare it to last year. >> do you have more money in your pocket just because there are more hours? what's going to happen is consumers are going to take advantage of some of the really good deals upfront and then we'll go into that two-week low after the black friday weekend. that low will be even bigger. higher early and a lower low and then we're going to go back to that craziness that happens at the last minute. >> you mentioned the big deals that get you in the door, door buster deals i guess they're called.

i want to read you something that the wall street journal is reporting. quote, analysis of the year's most touted black friday deals by "the wall street journal" and price data firm decide inc found that many of the bargains tied as door busters were available at lower price at other times of the year and sometimes even at the same retailer. is this just a ploy? >> you can get better deals later on. however, this is a caveat. you have to be willing to be flexible. >> how do you mean? >> if you go in early, you'll have a full choice of colors, sizes, models. if you have something specific you have in mind, you want to buy it a little bit early. you may get a better deal later but you have to be flexible. >> what are the items that i should -- whether i'm going to be a sporting shopper or go this weekend, what should i be buying this weekend versus some other time? >> fashion items are the ones that you really want to get your hands on. those are the ones that will run out of colors and key sizes.

>> like what, clothes, shoes? >> luxury items, fashion accessories. the other big one nobody talks about at holiday time the last two or three years has been footwear. one of the most often items added to the list, made it to the top ten desired gifts to get. if one of your children or you want some footwear, think about it. they're going to run out of sizes right away. athletic shoes, running shoes and boots are the big ones. >> 60 seconds. why shouldn't i just do all this online? >> you can but the stores want to drive you into the stores. it's all part of the fever pitch. a lot of times they'll offer even better deals, better incentives and do these flash sales going on in the stores. you can actually get better deals. if you miss out, fear not. there's plenty of opportunities to get deals throughout the rest of the month. >> mood inside kmart three hours ago was -- >> optimistic.

consumers are pretty excited about taking advantage of the deals. >> marshall cohen author of "buy me." thank you. happy shopping. still ahead on "starting point," alina, to you. after the storm, new yorkers helping victims of sandy celebrate thanksgiving. we will take you live to one of the hard-hit areas getting some mu much-needed holiday cheer. that's next. they see more than themselves. so we celebrate our year-end with the "share the love" event. get a great deal on a new subaru and 250 dollars goes to your choice of five charities. by the end of this, our fifth year, our total can reach almost 25 million dollars. it's a nice reflection on us all. now through january 2nd.

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marketeds are closed for the thanks fwivg holiday. dow, nasdaq and s&p 500 all closing on a high yesterday with that cease fire in fwauza and israel. hostess era over.

it can sell off its recipes, brands. 18,000 people could soon lose their jobs in the company. twinkies and ho-hos, you probably will see them again just under a different brand name. >> i still have hope. national transportation safety board is kicking its blackberries to the curb, now using apple iphone 5 with verizon instead. quote, they've been failing both at inopportune times and an unacceptable rate. end quote. company that makes blackberry had no comment. >> while most of us enjoy family and perhaps a little football and great food on this thanksgiving day, it's so important to remember the thousands of americans who are still reeling from superstorm sandy. in new york, in fact, staten islanders who lost their homes and have no place to go are getting a special delivery today. the feast is coming to them boy

the truckload. deborah feyerick is live for us in staten island. deb, tell me about this turkey burger block party. >> it really is. it's sort of this big, moveable feast. they're going to have it on all different blocks tlout staten island. these are some of the volunteers that have come out this morning. you can see right now they're getting their marching orders, told where they're going, the areas that they're going to be talking to, what they can expect. over here, if you see, brooke, all these of trucks. they've got 20 of them. they are packed with supplies. it's not just food but turkey burgers, buns, pies, everything you would need for a particular party. also there are supplies like shovels and wheelbarrows. compassion into action. tell me about that. >> we wanted to put our faith in action on thanksgiving and give

our neighbors in staten island -- we're from new jersey, but partnering with local staten island churches, new hope, oasis. we're here to serve the people and feed them hopefully. >> brooke, so many people did not even think about thanksgiving, not in this particular area. they had no idea how thaerp going to get there. instead of having them go some place, you decided to bring it to them? >> taking the party to the people. we're going mobile. we've got 22 vans we're sending out to host block parties. clone out people's homes. we've got vans full of shovels and crowbars. we're going to be ripping out drywall, ripping up carpet, mucking out homes. after we empty their homes, we'll be filling their bellies, pies, pumpkin pies, grills and mashing up turkey burgers and sau sausages. >> i want to talk about these grills. they were donated but they'll grilling them but then leave the grills in the neighborhood so people, for example, who are living in home that is don't have electricity, they can

actually keep the grills and they then become the focal point. and i want to sbrous you. you decided to take your girls out here, as pastor tim did with his daughter, to volunteer on this day. why didn't you stay home? >> we did a similar thing last year with irene down in manville. just the experience of serving together as a family was amazing, to see the girls rally around these people and do anything that they could. we thought thanksgiving, it's a day of thanksgiving. what better way to be thankful than to give back for all we've been given? we feel so bad for these people. we want to do whatever we can. >> tara leahy, pastor tim lucas. they are putting their words into action, to bring a little bit of warmth and maybe rebuilding on this day of thanks. bro brooke? >> and delicious food and mighty tlishs pumpkin pie. what a great effort in staten island. >> great way to spend your thanksgiving, too. could there be a lasting deal between israel and gaza? we'll speak with the spokeswoman

for the palestinian national authority next. thanksgiving day parade starts in about half an hour. you're watching "starting point." [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online.

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that looks delicious. >> you've had a little cake. i've had a little stuffing. it's 8:30 in the morning on the east coast. welcome back to a special thanksgiving day edition of "starting point." so glad you're with us, everybody. i'm alina cho. >> i'm brooke baldwin. fragile cease fire is holding at this hour between israel and hamas. >> hamas, which the u.s. considers a terrorist group, controls gaza. remember, palestinian national authority, the much more moderate group favored by the u.s. controls the west bank. but the palestinian authority

was largely sidelined in this conflict and hamas appears to have strengthened its in negotiations. palestinian national authority spokesman, miss oaday, thank you for joining us. the cease fire has been in place about 18 1/2 hours. in a few hours at the 24-hour mark, the border crossings into gaza will reopen. and the negotiations will continue. i'm curious from your standpoint, what are you looking for as we look ahead? >> first of all, thank you for having me. the number one priority for the palestinian government and the palestinian leadership is that the assault has stopped. the killing has stopped and whoa don't have to mourn the loss of any more of our children. over 30 of them have been killed over the past eight years of -- eight days, sorry, of israeli

assault. the priority now for palestinians, all of them, regardless of what faction they belong to is to consecrate national unity. there's been many phone calls and dialogue between the leaders of the various factions to make sure that the spirit of unity is consolidated and national reconciliation agreement is entrenched and translated into actions really so that we don't have to face another crisis like this ever again while we're not united. >> you talk about unity. yet the palestinian authority, as you know, and palestinian president mahmoud abbas largely on the fringe of these negotiations. it really took secretary of state hillary clinton to make abbas visible in this process. what does that say about your negotiation power looking ahead?

>> well, that's one way of putting it, if you are going to consider from the media coverage perspective. palestinian president, mahmoud abbas was brokering these negotiations with the egyptian president and in close leaders with hamas and islamic jihad. he was in direct contact and being consulted on the details of this agreement, which we have to remember affects 1.6 million palestinians that the president is still responsible for. the idea of competition right now is really not on the national agenda. what is on the national agenda is celebrating that calm has been restored, planning ahead on how to reconstruct, how to entrench this reconciliation and move forward to open a new chapter of a united palestinian front that can lobby much better and much stronger for the long

overdue palestinian freedom on the 29th of november. the palestinian president will lead those efforts at the united nations to elevate it, to upgrade palestine. we look forward to making sure that it is done successfully with the widest possible international support. and that we expect. and then we move on to unity, to peace talks and renewed hope really that the two-state solution can be saved from this entrenched israeli occupation, from continued settlement activity and that we can make sure that violence doesn't flare up again and gaza doesn't have to go through this again. >> we talk about the two-state solution, it's something we have talked about for years. it still has not happened. i think it's admirable that you still hold out hope. in the past half hour or so, we spoke with the former chief of staff to benjamin netanyahu and

asked thim what israel was willing to give up. have a listen and we'll talk on the other side. >> we want to have peace with our neighbors, make no mistake. we cannot engage in discussions with people who are shooting my own kids. day in, day out. it's a two-step solution. first, eradicate terror. second, talk to our neighbors. >> he says eradicating terror is a precondition to restarting talks. what are the palestinians willing to put on the table? >> well, i think his perspective is a little bit skewed and disingenuous. gaza is not an isolated island. it's part and parcel, integral part of the occupied territory that israel has occupied over 45 years. israel still is responsible, has legal obligations toward the palestinian population in the occupied west bank, including jerusalem as well as in gaza.

palestinians have been very clear. they've had a very clear, very consistent peace agenda for over 20 years. they've given up claim to almost 80% of historic palestine in order to have that two-state solution. address for negotiations with the palestinian side is also very clear, palestine liberation organization, point of consensus amongst all palestinian factions, including hamas and islamic j islamic jihad. plo has that power to reach durable peace with israel if israel decides to adopt a peace agenda, to make that is very brave decision, very important decision to withdraw from the bor borders. >> relative calm in gaza and israel. we are all thankful for that, particularly when we look at the

u.s. thanksgiving holiday we're celebrating today. nour odeh, thank you for joining us. still ahead on "starting point" turkey day in a war zone. how are brave men and women in the military are spending this holiday under secretary of the u.s. army, dr. joseph westfall, joining me next loiv from afghanistan. you're watching "starting point." th my bankamericard cash rewards credit card, i love 'em even me. i earn 1% cash back everywhere, every tim 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatica hoops to jump hrough. that's 1% back o.. [ toy robot sounds ] 2% on pumpkin pie. and apple. 3% ba on 4 trips to e airport. it's as easy ... [ woman ] 3. male annocer ] the bankamericard cash rewardca. apply online or at a bank america nr you.

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welcome back. it's 41 minutes past the hour. mr. food made good cooking look easy for more than 30 years. >> easy. ooh, it's so good.

>> he died yesterday of capser at the age of 81. mr. food's real name, by the way, was art ginsburg. nearly 130 tv stations across the nation air his 90-second cooking segments and he also published dozens of cookbooks. former president nicolas sarkozy in court today, answering questions about campaign donations he received from l'oreal paris in betancourt. 42 minutes past the hour. bonnie schneider has the thanksgiving forecast. it's looking pretty good out there. isn't it, bonnie? >> it is. we're watching out for windy weather, alina. that holds true from bismarck to minneapolis. wind gusts could be as strong as 48 miles per hour. in parts offed in we're also facing snow. so blowing and drifting snow from areas of grand forks into fargo. it's going to be a little bit

messy for your thanksgiving day travels. gusts will be climbing up to 45 miles per hour. elsewhere across the country, we're also tracking dense fog. so clouds on the ground from paducah, kentucky, cape girardeau, to memphis, tennessee. low clouds. i think it will improve by 9:00 am. if you are flying today -- many of you are trying to catch that early flight in time for your tirky. in minneapolis and soelt where we've had rain showers and low clouds. where it's not raining, millions of people will be out and about. new york city. the parade weather looks fantastic this year. bright sunshine and temperatures in the 40s. climbing into the low 50s for today. banner day for new york for thanksgiving. >> coat but not a heavy coat? >> exactly. >> bonnie, thank you. 15 minutes away from this parade. we're sneaking a look here. we have pictures. getting ready to roll. >> if you haven't gotten there by now, good luck.

hello kitty coming down the parade route. we will go live to the macy's thanksgiving day parade, where people are line d up, ready to parade starts in 15 minutes. you're watching "starting point." is efficiently absorbed in small continuous amounts. citracal slow release continuously releases calcium plus d with efficient absorption in one daily dose. citracal slow release.

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47 minutes here past the hour. let's talk about our troops, 68,000 u.s. troops, bases all across afghanistan will be chowing down on thanksgiving meal today. i'm talking turkey, ham, sweet potatoes and pie while, of course, celebrating memories of home. >> afghanistan -- >> happy thanksgiving. go jets!

>> the holidays, of course, can be particularly tough for some of these soldiers separated from their families. that is why the undersecretary of the u.s. army, dr. joseph westfall, is taking time to visit with the troops today to thank them for their service and, of course, bring words of encouragement. and, we're told, he has a special guest along his side, sergeant jose ortiz from kandahar, afghanistan. good morning. dr. westfall, let me begin with you. you sure traveled a heck of a long way to eat turkey. why are you there? what's your message? >> thank you. thank you, brooke. happy thanksgiving to you and all the listeners. we are at an operating base west of kandahar province. we've been touring the battlefield all through this area. and here to do two things. one is to thank our soldiers and, through them, thank their families for the sacrifice that

they make every day to be so far away. and secondly, to determine how well we're doing here. how our forces are able to transition to the afghan forces. i thought you might also want to listen to sergeant ortiz. >> absolutely. >> he has had multiple deployments and could answer some of those questions himself. >> sergeant ortiz, let me jump in and say thank you for your service and the service of so many men and women in this part of the world right now. let me just jump in. give me a little bit about your background. how many times have you been over there? if you want to say a quick hello to your family back here at home, please feel free. >> first, thank you very much for having me. actually, i've been in the army about 11 years. this is my third deployment. first time to afghanistan. it's great. i'm having a great time out here. >> how -- we've been over there. the u.s. has been there for 11 years now and counting. how is morale?

>> morale is actually high. we sit down and talk to the soldiers all the time, communica communicate. we're brothers and sisters. sometimes moralee goes up and moralee goes down. for the most part moralee is up here. we have great officers, and 100% we take care of each other. morale is actually really good right now. >> great to hear. 11 years, quite a long time to be there. do you have family back home? is there anyone, maybe your mom, who would like to hear a quick hello? >> actually, yes. i would like to say hi to my mom, my brothers and sisters but also to my wife. she's remarkable. great. married ten years, the most beautiful woman i've ever seen. especially hi to her and love her a lot and be home seen. >> dr. westphal and sergeant ortiz, i'm sure your wife liked hearing that as well. thank you for coming to us all

the way from kandahar, afghanistan. >> great segment. beautiful day for a parade here in new york city. low 40s, going up to the 50s. people lining up for the best possible view of the giant balloons that will soon be floating by. parade will start in ten minutes. just minutes away from the start of that 86th annual macy's thanksgiving day parade. i don't even want to know how many years, jason carroll, you've been covering this. good morning. what's it like out there? >> reporter: it feels great out here. alina, the weather is fantastic. very little wind. take a look right up here, central park. you can see the parade is just about to get under way, hello kitty balloon making her debut at this year's parade in her plane. things are just getting under way. so many crowds coming out. in part because of the weather. people koccoming all over from

south carolina, new jersey. lot of families coming out. this is a special day for a lot of families. 5,000 invitations went out to families who were victims of hurricane sandy. very special family joining me right now. albom family from brooklyn. lost their home during hurricane sandy. you guys decided to come out here today. this is really a chance for you just to really escape, yes? >> to get a change of frame of mind. we've been staying at our friends house the last 21 days. can't live in our house. it puts us in a good mode and it's something we would never have been able to do beforehand. something different for my friends and family right now. we can't go into our house. we have no kitchen, no dining room, nothing at all. >> we're so grateful to everyone in the community. >> they've really pulled together. >> the school and friends and family. >> friends we're staying at, going back in between so we don't drive them nuts or drive ourselves nuts. >> reporter: what's amazing to me is your attitude. given all that's happened you seem to be so positive about

everything. you're out here, smiling today. you've got the kids here as well. this has really got to be an opportunity for you guys to be together as a family, enjoy these moments being here at this parade. >> yeah. it's nice to forget. >> for a little while. >> reporter: for a little while. >> until we have to go back. >> reporter: now that we've got you here, any plans of when you'll be able to go home? you can't stay with friends forever. >> we've been there since it happened. >> working out really well. we'll see on monday whether they'll come in and get us fixed up. their plan is to get us into our houses, into a shelter before the cold weather really comes about. we're looking forward to that. >> reporter: a lot of people watching this, their hearts are going out to you guys and to others like you, who suffered through hurricane sandy. can't tell you how pleased and how grateful we are to have you with us here today. >> thank you for having us over here. garretson beach has been great and all of new york, we really have seen the resilience of new yorkers pulling together. we're grateful for that and we appreciate everything that the

city has provided. >> the community, the school has been great. >> albom family joining us here. the parade gets off in just about ten minutes from now. >> what a great story, jason and great family. we wish them the best and wish you a happy thanksgiving. >> you hear the gratitude out there. there's a lot of gratitude here in the studio as well on a day when many people don't have to work. we want to send a thanks to the people here in the cnn studio. special guests have been waiting patiently for this moment. happy thanksgiving. >> these are little ones from our cnn employees who are graciously stopping by the studio before they head out to the parade this morning. >> that's right. >> "starting point" back in a moment. [ ross ] we are in the dades gorge, high up in the atlas mountains of morocco. have you seen this road we're going down? ♪ there is no relief for the brakes. we'll put them to the test today. all right, let's move out! [ ross ] we're pushing the ats brakes to the limit.

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2% on pumpkin pie. and apple. 3% ba on 4 trips to e airport. it's as easy ... [ woman ] 3. male annocer ] the bankamericard cash rewardca. apply online or at a bank america nr you. welcome back to "starting point." so just how far will people go for those thanksgiving door

buster deals? kyung lah now with shoppers gone wild. >> reporter: stampedes, gate crushing, pushing. >> don't push me. it's a tv for god sakes. >> reporter: even tasing. shoppers consumed with the deal turning on one another. at this walmart last year -- >> my eyes are burning! >> reporter: one used pepper spray to fight suffocation in the crowd. this is black friday in america and connecticut shopper john dagat loves it. this father of an 18-month-old has been camping out for years. one year he snapped fophotos as this crowd fought over $5 headphones. >> the shoppers just went berzerk. people start lunging and grabbing and you just see the arms all just go at once, you know, just forward like a team of super heroes. >> what is relatively new are

shoppers turning on other shoppers. >> reporter: a consumer psychologist, she says competitive shopping has gotten worse. so accept it on black friday that it's here to stay. >> this piling on stores being desperate for consumers to come and shop so they're offering a lot of deals and making the promotional environment something that predisposes people to not behave. >> reporter: bad behavior has led to serious injuries, even death from crushed workers and shoppers to shootings at stores. that's why best buy has been running drills this year on crowd control. they're so serious at this store, check out the plan on the black friday war board. >> we prep a lot for this, make sure the line is being monitored, let in little groups at a time. that way our employees aren't getting overwhelmed and neither are the customers. >> reporter: the tents, the lines, the mayhem. some say the only way they can handle black friday